Recent Exhibition

Jonathan Postal

October 1 - November 19

Reception: Nov. 5, 6-9 pm

Memphis-based artist Jonathan Postal's work is concerned with capturing a moment that is raw, honest, and timeless, but also in possession of a quirky, unique beauty. Working in the medium of photography, Postal's work explores the parallel worlds that exist in popular culture, presenting his subjects as iconic and archetypal, while keeping a sense of history and approachability.

For his show at Tinney Contemporary, "The Man Who Shot Rock," Postal chose not only to present a very specific, inimitable period in history, but also to invite the viewer to step into the past. His photographs serve as a time machine, presenting the viewer with a glimpse into the artist's previous life--one full of danger and recklessness, and the tremendous shock of youth itself. However, this history does not solely belong to Postal. Rather, it is a shared cultural experience that can never be recreated. Postal presents these images not out of cheap nostalgia, but as evidence that these people and these places existed, and that he was, for the most part, included in it.

The common thread in this body of work is that the subjects are musicians, captured through silver prints, their spirits raw and innovative. The tour that Postal's images take the viewer on begins in the late 70's and then rollercoasters through the 80's, rambling on into the 90's, and ending in this past decade with photographs of Hank Williams III, and Joe Buck. Postal's photographs capture places and faces long buried in time, demonstrating a masterful ability to recognize those decisive moments that make for the most powerful images.

An internationally photographer and musician, Jonathan Postal has lived around the world while producing his fine art photography and working for notable publications such as Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Time, Life, The New York Times, and Interview Magazine. He currently lives in Memphis with his wife, artist Mary Long Postal, and their dog, Hank Williams IV.

In the rear gallery: Highway of Sight, Photographs by Americana artist Steve Forbert

The exhibit, titled “Highway of Sight”, will be a showcase of Americana artist Steve Forbert’s photography while touring as a musician on the road.

Forbert's photos are taken strictly with a 2005 LG cellphone. Though Forbert has tried some of the newer, high resolution phones, he finds the photos from the 2005 LG to be the most interesting. According to Forbert, "A proper camera is out of the question. I don't feel there is anything I can add to the standard, accepted field of Fine Art photography. What I'm attracted to are bright colors, repetition, symmetry, a bit of obvious irony and the simply absurd."

Mississippi-born singer/songwriter Steve Forbert has been a steady, inventive presence on the music scene since his acclaimed 1978 debut, "Alive On Arrival." Taking the stance of a compassionate everyman, with a keen eye for detail, Forbert weaves together strands of folk, rock, country and R&B, as he delivers his take on life's trials, tribulations, and discoveries with direct, honest energy and enduring optimism. Best known for his 1980 hit single "Romeo's Tune", he has released fourteen studio albums and currently performs over one-hundred concerts a year. He was inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame in 2006.